San Clemente , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dana Cummings survived two tours of combat duty as a Marine in the first Gulf War without injury . But 10 years later , he lost a leg in a car crash .

A divorced father of three , Cummings said he was abandoned by his girlfriend and denied physical rehabilitation by his insurance . Realizing he needed to be strong for himself and his children , he began an intense workout regimen in the hospital -- then found his own brand of rehab in an unlikely place : a surfboard .

`` I wanted to prove that I was whole , and one of the ways to do that was to learn to surf , '' Cummings said . `` When you become disabled , you feel trapped . And when I felt the first breath of freedom , of riding that wave , I was like , ` This is so good , so inspiring . ' I wanted to share that feeling that I had with others . ''

In 2003 , he helped create the Association of Amputee Surfers , or AmpSurf . The nonprofit , volunteer-run organization is dedicated to teaching people with disabilities , most of them veterans , how to surf -- for free .

Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes

`` We want to inspire them to move on and just be active and live full lives , '' said Cummings , 40 . `` We want them to walk away with that empowerment , that self-confidence that they can do whatever they set their mind to . ''

Cummings co-founded AmpSurf with his prosthetist and two other amputees , including Rodney Roller , the man who taught Cummings how to surf . Since 2008 , Cummings has been running the organization .

AmpSurf is open to anyone with any disability , including spinal cord injuries , blindness , post-traumatic stress disorder and autism . Seventy percent of participants are veterans .

The group holds one clinic per month at a beach on the California coast . Participants are provided with food , surfboards , wetsuits , sunscreen and towels . They 're paired with one or more volunteers or instructors based on their ability to surf , as well as by disability . Before they get into the water , they receive `` dry land '' instruction on how to get up on the board .

But the clinics are n't just about surfing , Cummings said .

`` We bring people together to feed off each other and swap stories about what they 're going through , '' he said . `` For me , this was the biggest mental rehab I could have ever had . ''

Anthony Davis is one vet who 's benefited from the program . A retired Navy rescue swimmer , Davis , 28 , was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a car accident .

`` I remember waking up in the VA hospital in Seattle and not being able to move my legs , '' he said .

Doctors told Davis he had a 99 percent chance of never walking again and a 60 percent chance he 'd never get out of his wheelchair . But Davis ignored the statistics and was soon standing -- with Cummings ' assistance -- on a surfboard .

`` Surfing makes me feel like I 'm flying , '' Davis said . `` I feel like I do n't need my legs . It changed my life by making me feel a lot stronger and more confident . ''

A year later , Davis taught himself how to walk again and attends as many AmpSurf clinics as possible . He also continues to inspire those around him , including Cummings .

`` I 'm missing my leg and there are days I do n't want to get out of bed , '' Cummings said . `` But I ca n't imagine being told you 'll never walk again , and then having the strength and internal drive to actually do it . Anthony 's amazing . ''

More than 300 people have taken part in AmpSurf clinics , including Brian Ruhe , 35 , who lost both legs above the knee when he was 18 .

`` A lot of us have amputations or some sort of paraplegia , quadriplegia , are stuck in wheelchairs or stuck to their device , and just to be part of nature , to be free to move with the water , it 's a freeing experience , '' Ruhe said .

Each year , AmpSurf sponsors a group of disabled veterans and non-vets in Operation Restoration , a weeklong clinic that offers surfing and other sporting events . Funding for all of AmpSurf 's activities comes from individual donations and local businesses .

For Cummings , AmpSurf will always be about more than just surfing ; it 's about happiness , not just for the participants , but for him and his volunteers .

`` I always tell the volunteers , ` You 're going to get 10 times more out of this than the person you help today , because everybody feeds off each other . You ca n't help but be happy , ' '' he said .

`` None of us get paid , but we come back month after month , year after year , because it feels good to give back and to help somebody . ''

Want to get involved ? Check out the AmpSurf website and see how to help .

@highlight

Marine veteran of first Gulf War lost leg in car accident 10 years later

@highlight

Denied rehab by insurance , he created his own regimen -- on a surfboard

@highlight

In 2003 , he helped create a group that teaches people with disabilities how to surf

@highlight

More than 300 people have taken part in AmpSurf 's free clinics